Joe DiMaggio’s 56-Game Hitting Streak Begins, May 15, 1941!

 

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 Joe DiMaggio’s 56-Game Hitting Streak Begins!

“When I sat at a table with Joe and other people…all the men were always looking at Joe instead of me!!” – Marilyn Monroe, speaking of husband Joe DiMaggio.

Haha! If it was actually humanly possible for any man to divert lusting male eyes (at least momentarily) away from Marilyn Monroe, that man was surely Joe DiMaggio…

I doubt anyone at the time had an inkling that a largely forgettable game played on May 15, 1941, 77 years ago yesterday, between the Yankees and the White Sox would see the start of the most famous streak in baseball history.

The Yankees were coming off a disappointing third place finish in 1940, and 1941 was starting out no better. The game that day was nothing to write home about. The Yanks got clobbered by the lowly Sox 13-1, dropping them to 14-15 for the season. To make matters worse, DiMaggio committed a throwing error and went 1-4 at the plate, a single in the first inning which was part of a .197 stretch over his last 21 games. The Yankees were already starting to “feel it” from the press and their impatient fans as this New York Times quote attests:

“The Yanks never looked worse and derisive shouts greeted the final out of each inning.”

Of course as we all know, that innocuous single blossomed into one of sports’ most hallowed numbers: “56,” as in 56 straight games with a hit. From May 15 to July 16, Joltin’ Joe put up a remarkable slash line: .408/.463/.717, with 91 hits (35 for extra bases), 15 home runs, and 55 RBIs.

It’s an understatement to say the streak captured the attention of the nation. Virtually everyone got caught up in it. “What he’d do today?…Did he get a hit?” The baseball world was going crazy!

Two months later, everything had changed. The Yankees were perched comfortably in first in the American League, six games ahead of Cleveland, enroute to the American League pennant and a World Series championship. Seventy-seven years later, the streak still seems untouchable. The closest anyone has come is Pete Rose, who put together a 44-game streak in 1978.

Of course, if it weren’t for that darned cab driver on July 16^th  who put a “jinx” on DiMaggio enroute to the game, who knows what number everyone would be chasing instead?

Fun Facts about the Streak:

• Pitcher Jim Bagby ended the streak on July 16 with the help of defensive gems by Ken Keltner and Lou Boudreau.
• Failing to extend the streak for one more game cost him the $10,000 promised to him by the Heinz Corporation to endorse their Heinz 57 products.
• Joe was voted the American League MVP that season over Ted Williams who hit .406 — the last time a major-leaguer hit over .400.
• During the streak, he faced four future Hall of Fame pitchers — Lefty Grove, Hal Newhouser (twice), Bob Feller and Ted Lyons.
• After extending the streak to 56 on July 16, DiMaggio led the American League in runs (80), hits (124) and RBIs (76), was tied for the lead in HR (20) and was second to Ted Williams in batting (.395 to .375).
• Although he failed to get a hit in Game 57, DiMaggio did walk to reach base in a streak that would extend to 74 consecutive games (second all-time to Ted Williams mark of 84 games in 1949).

Gary Livacari

Photo Credits: All from Google search

Information: Excerpts edited from Newday article, May 11, 2016 by Dave Whitehorn;  and from the Joe DiMaggio Wikipedia page.

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